Permission
by mikkimikka
Summary: Momo asks Ryoma permission to pursue one of his fangirls. Ryoma proceeds to be miffed.


DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN

Permission

Ryoma took in the situation around him.

It was after tennis practice and everyone had quickly put their clothes on, ready to go home for the afternoon. Tezuka had been particularly hard on them for some unknown reason, and all Ryoma wanted was a nice long cool drink of Ponta. Having spent enough time pondering these things, Ryoma had already shouldered his bag and left the locker room..

It was only shortly after his departure when he found himself in his peculiar situation. He wasn't even really out of the school yard when he heard one of his sempai's approach from behind. He knew by the goofy, relaxed gait it was none other than Momo-chan-sempai, and he didn't bother slowing his spped to allow the other boy to catch up. He knew there was no need for such accommodations. Instead Ryoma continued on until Momo reached his side and met each and every one of his strides.

"Hey Echizen," Momo greeted, as if he hadn't just saw the other boy minutes ago in the locker room.

"Hhn." Echizen merely acknowledged the others presence.

Momo in turn scratched at the back of his neck awkwardly, continuing to walk forward and follow the younger tennis player out of the school gates and into the city streets. The continued on a few more paces, before the taller boy's discomfort got too much for the small to bare.

"Is there something wrong?" Echizen asked, his tone steady and slightly uninterested.

The even pace of Momo's feet shifted a little at the question, before once again matching Ryoma's.

"Well…," Momo began, trailing off at the end before picking up again suddenly. "I've been wanting to ask you something."

"Yes?" Ryoma prompted, not being in a mood to indulge in a long a drawn out conversation after the especially grueling practice of the day. All he wanted was some ponta and for Momo to actually make a little sense.

"Yeah… I had a question."

"Ok," Ryoma replied barely suppressing an annoyed groan.. Momo was especially not behaving like himself.

"Say, what do you think of that girl who always comes and watch you play." Ryoma was about to cut in and ask which one but Momo quickly added, "You know. The cute one."

This time Ryoma didn't bother to suppress the grimace that clearly marked his features and he stopped walking to adjust the bag on his back. He didn't want to think who exactly Momo meant by that one, and he especially didn't want to wager admitting either of them were cute…

Momo turned to regard his friend who stood straight, unmoving, staring up at him with brows knitted in concentration.

He sighed, guessing Ryoma still didn't know who he was talking about.

"The girl. The one who's kind of loud and with the--" Momo gestured at both sides of his head to depict pigtails.

"Oh," Ryoma said. "her."

"Yeah. Tomoka Osakada, I think."

"Wait… you think she's cute?" Ryoma asked.

Momo shrugged although they both knew the older boy had already admitted to the fact that he thought the really loud mouthed girl that always cheered for Ryoma and was borderline obsessive was cute. And really, despite the fact Ryoma really thought Momo needed his eyes or head or maybe both checked, upon thinking about it… really thinking about it, Ryoma found he couldn't help but agree, though such sentiments would not be stated aloud.

Tomoka… Tomo-chan, as Sakuno called her. She had a nice-looking, bright smile and when she narrowed her eyes and wrinkled her brow in anger that little twitch was kind of sweet too. Her hair was always done the same but Ryoma imagined that she'd look great in curls and that beauty mark that only managed to agitate him when seen on Atobe didn't have nearly the same effect when on Tomo's face. Quite the opposite really. It served as an asset.

She was cute.

"Wait… why are you asking me this?" Ryoma asked, coming out of this thoughts.

He looked up at his friend who now seemed to be trying his best not to blush, and who scratched nervously at his cheek, looking every such way but at him.

"I don't know," Momo began, which was an obvious lie. He did know.

Ryoma merely trudged ahead and Momo dropped his arms at his sides, stuffed his hands in his uniform pants pockets and followed.

"I was just wondering if you'd mind if I tried to ask her on a date."

Ryoma stopped again, this time at a crossing light that began to blink red. They couldn't cross and Ryoma was forced to look up at Momo instead of at the street before him.

"Why would you have to ask me permission for something like that?"

Ryoma found himself not really wanting to talk about it, and hoped that Momo would leave it at that, but of course things wouldn't be that easy.

"I dunno… it just seemed to me that you two had a thing going or something."

Ryoma stiffened, though only slightly. He was miffed, truly miffed. Why couldn't Momo just be inconsiderate for once and not consider his feelings… or… whatever. As Ryoma wasn't truly sure if "feelings" was an adequate term for acknowledging the fact that some girl was cute, and annoying but manageable.

"What are you talking about?" Ryoma asked.

"Oh nothing, it's just I noticed that you do kind of pay attention to the girls more if Tomo's there. Not if it's just Sakuno alone."

"She's just really loud," Ryoma quipped.

The crosswalk turned green and Ryoma hurriedly took off, but Momo was right on his heels.

"That's true," the older lad assented. "But I thought she might have liked you. When you two are together I kind of get this feeling that she really likes you."

Ryoma didn't answer, though his stomach seemed to be growing progressively ill with each word spoken.

Momo shrugged, "I guess it was in my head that you could kind of like her. You don't like Sakuno though right? Because I think maybe Fuji--"

"No!"

Momo was almost rattled by Ryoma's outburst but attributed it to Ryoma being tired, which maybe have been partially true. Only partially. Ryoma really didn't like Sakuno like that, and he was just getting tired of the comments and of this conversation.

"Ok then, that's cool. I guess I'll ask her tomorrow. If she's not at morning practice I can always go to her classroom. I bet that'd impress her since I'm a second year and all and a starter and I'll go to her class and ask for her by name," Momo grinned to himself, plotting.

Ryoma shrugged and swallowed the questioned that welled up in his throat about whatever happened to his infatuation with An-chan and why he was encroaching upon Tomo-chan.

"Well, thanks Echizen! I'm glad to know there wasn't really anything between you too," Momo smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow ok. I have to go this way."

Ryoma nodded, and Momo waved one last wave good bye, shouted a quick thanks, and jogged off in the opposite direction.

Ryoma let out a sigh, but his stomach still managed to stay constricted in its irritated knot. Between practice and the previous conversation, Ryoma couldn't really decipher which of the stimuli had left his stomach in such a twist.

He shrugged and continued walking, determined to not think any farther of broad smiles and pigtails, as such thoughts never failed to wrench at his stomach further.

-the end-

AN: i did a bad job of portraying Ryoma's feelings. thanks for reading and i'd love to know what you think


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